Step 13 of 14

Circles and more circles

Tawaf around the Kaaba

The composition of the vertical scroll further augments our focus on the Kaaba, which is surrounded by a repetition of circular forms and arches. The predominance of circles in the composition recalls the practice of tawaf, the circumambulation around the Kaaba during the hajj.

The semi-circular forms reinforce the circular composition: the curves of the Chinese fan, large archway in red connecting the minarets in the foreground, the domes and small arches of the Masjid al-Haram. These forms are echoed in the railing and tiles on the floor which create a double circle around the Kaaba.